The Story of the Greeks

Page: 76

The Athenians were almost in despair. They had enemies on all sides, and
were also worried by the quarrels of aristocrats and democrats within
the city. These two political parties were now so opposed to each other,
that nothing could make them friends.

The army, longing for action, and without a leader, finally took matters
into their own hands. They recalled Alcibiades, and asked him to help
them. The[Pg 169] young man, who was generous and kind-hearted, immediately
responded to this appeal; and, now that it was too late, he repented of
what he had done, and began to do all in his power to defeat the enemy
he had aroused.

By his eloquence and skill, Alcibiades finally succeeded in winning the
Persians over to side with the Athenians, and to fight against the
Spartans; but all his efforts to make up for the past were vain. His
treachery had ruined Athens; and when he led the troops against the
Spartans, the Athenians were completely defeated.

LXVII. DEATH OF ALCIBIADES.

Afraid to return to his native city, where he knew the people would
blame him for their sufferings, Alcibiades fled. After roaming about for
some time, he took refuge in a castle which he had built on the
Cher-so-ne´sus.

From the height upon which the castle stood, Alcibiades could overlook
the sea on both sides; and he watched the Spartan and Athenian fleets,
which, unknown to each other, had come to anchor very near him. He soon
discovered that the Spartans had become aware of the presence of the
Athenians, and were preparing to surprise them.

He therefore left his castle, and, at the risk of his life, went down to
warn the Athenians of the coming danger. They, however, treated his
warning with scorn,[Pg 170] and bade him return to his castle, and remember
that he no longer had any right to interfere in their affairs.

From the top of his promontory, Alcibiades saw the complete destruction
of the Athenian fleet. Only a few men managed to escape to his castle
for shelter; while a single ship sailed in haste to Athens, to report
the defeat, and warn the people of the coming danger.

A few days later the victorious Spartan army marched unchallenged into
Athens, for there were now no fighting men left to oppose them. The
Spartans said that Athens must now obey them in all things; and, to
humiliate the people, they tore down the Long Walls to the sound of
joyful music on the anniversary of the glorious victory of Salamis.

Thus ended the Peloponnesian War, which, as you have seen, began shortly
before the death of Pericles. From this time on, the fame of Athens was
due mostly to her literature and art.

By order of the Spartans, Solon's laws were set aside, and thirty men
were chosen to govern the city. These rulers proved so stern and cruel,
that they were soon known as the Thirty Tyrants, and were hated by every
one.

The Athenians suffered so sorely under the government which the Spartans
had thus forced upon them, that they soon began to long for the return
of Alcibiades, who, whatever his faults, was always generous.

When the Thirty Tyrants and the Spartans learned of this feeling, they
were afraid that the Athenians would summon Alcibiades, so they bribed
the Persian governor to put him to death.[Pg 171]

A party of murderers went to his house at night, and set it afire.
Alcibiades, waking up suddenly, tried to escape with his household; but
no sooner had he reached the door than he found himself surrounded by
enemies.

Alcibiades quickly wrapped his cloak around his left arm to serve as a
shield, and, seizing his sword in his right hand, rushed manfully out
upon his foes. The Persians, frightened at his approach, fled in haste;
but they came to a stop at a safe distance, and flung so many stones and
spears at him that he soon fell dead from the blows.

His body was left where it had fallen, and was found by his wife, who
loved him dearly in spite of all his faults. She tenderly wrapped it up
in her own mantle, and had it buried not far from where it lay.

Thus ended the life of the brilliant Alcibiades, who died at the age of
forty, far away from his native land, and from the people whose idol he
had once been, but whom he had ruined by his vanity.

LXVIII. THE OVERTHROW OF THE THIRTY TYRANTS.

Although the Thirty Tyrants ruled in Athens but a short time, they
condemned fifteen hundred men to death, and drove many good citizens
into exile. During their brief period of authority they even found fault
with Socrates, and would have liked to kill him, though he was the
greatest philosopher the world has ever known.[Pg 172]

As the rule of the Thirty Tyrants had been forced upon them by the
victorious Spartans, the Athenians soon resolved to get rid of them.
Among the good citizens whom these cruel rulers had driven away into
exile, was Thras-y-bu´lus, who was a real patriot.

He had seen the sufferings of the Athenians, and his sympathy had been
roused. So he began plotting against the Thirty Tyrants, assembled a few
brave men, entered the city, drove out the Spartans, and overturned
their government when they least expected it.

Some years later the Athenians rebuilt the Long Walls, which Ly-san´der,
the Spartan general, had torn down to the sound of festive music. They
were so glad to be rid of the cruel tyrants, that they erected statues
in honor of Thrasybulus, their deliverer, and sang songs in his praise
at all their public festivals.

The Spartans, in the mean while, had been changing rapidly for the
worse, for the defeat of the Athenians had filled their hearts with
pride, and had made them fancy they were the bravest and greatest people
on earth. Such conceit is always harmful.